Treadle mechanism.



. PATENTED'NOV. 17, 190.3. R. s. PLBMINGF. TRBADLE MEGHANISM.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 16. 19043.

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i I l I l l l 1 PATBNTBD NOV. 17, 1903.

R. s. FLEMING. TREADLB MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 18. 1903.

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UNITED STATES Patented November 17, 1903. l

` PATENT OEEICE.

ROBERT s. ELEMI'NG, OE sT. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR To LANDIS MACHINECOMPANY,

OE MISSOURI.

OF SI. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION TREADL'E MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of lLetters latent No. 744,321, datedNovember 17, 1903.

Application ledSeptember 16, 1903. Serial No. 173,411. (No model.) v

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT S. FLEMING, a citizen of the United States,residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Treadle Mechanism, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference boing had1o to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, inWhich- Figure l is a side elevation. Fig. 2 is a front elevation atright angles to Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic side elevation showingI5 the positions of the parts when the treadles are at one extreme ofmovement. Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic front elevation of the parts asshownin Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is aview of the character of Fig. 3 with thetreadles in the other extreme of movement, and' Fig. 6 is a View of thecharacter of Fig. 4 and showing the parts in the positions illustratedin Fig. 5.

T his invention relates to improvements in treadle mechanisms, and ismore particularly an improvement upon the structure forming thesubject-matter of Patent No. 564,572, granted to Samuel A. Gould, July2l, 1896.

The primary object of the present mechanism is to provide a structure ofthe general character of that illustrated by the said former patent,whereby the principle of a toggle system is utilized, as in said formerstructure, but greater power is afforded, although the number of partsis not increased.

upon mechanisms of the character indicated the invention consists in thevarious matters hereinafter described and claimed.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, A represents asupporting-standard of any suitable construction. Bindicates acrank-shaft suitably journaled upon saidY To this end and also toimprove generally- Suitabl y pivoted to the standard, above saidcrankshaft, is a lever E, and a link D has one end pivotally connectedto the crank-arm, as at a. while the opposite end of said link ispivotally connected to thefree end of the lever F., as at a. This pointof connection a.' is also above the shaft B, and the combined length ofthe lever E and the link D is greater than the distance between thecrank-'pin a and the stud a2, which forms a relatively fixed pivot forsaid lever E, so that the point of connection ct between said link andlever is at all times above the crank-shaft. A substantially verticallink F has one end pivotally connected to the lever E and the link/D, asat said point of pivotal connection a', and has its other end pivotallyconnected to one end of the rocking lever G, said lower end of the linkF being loosely mounted upon the pivot-pin by which it is connected tosaid rocking lever, so that said link F can rock in two lines which areat substantially right angles to each other. As the rocking lever G andits treadles are below the crank-shaft B and the point of connection a.'between said link F and the lever E and the link D is above said crankshaft, it is possible to employ a relatively long link F. Therefore thislink F is at all times in a vertical or nearly vertical position, forthe distance between the point a.' and the point of connection betweenthe the link F and the rocking lever G is so great that the parts canrock through their proper arch without causing material deflection ofthe link F. Furthermore, in order to obtain the desired toggle actionthe link D and the lever E are of different lengths, as in said before-mentioned patent; but the shorter member in the present structure isth'e lever E, which has one endmounted upon the fixed pivot a2. Thus theupper end of the link F is given less displacement from the verticalwhen the lever E is rocked than would occur were the lever E the longermember of the toggle. As the link F is substantially vertical in bothextreme positions ofthe treadles, as .clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 5, asubstantiallydirect push or pull is exerted at the point a? between thetoggle members at the downward movement of each treadle,where Ice by thepower' exerted upon a treadle is applied in the most advantageous lineand the power applied to the treadle is utilized in actuating the toggleand not wasted in overcoming tendencies toward deadcenters,which resultwhen the lilik F is forced to exert its pressure at an angle, as shownby said prior patent.

The present mechanism is particularly applicable to sewing-machines, inwhich, because of the necessarily limited distance of the work-tablefrom the floor, a relatively small space is presented in which toarrange the driving-shaft, the treadle, and the connections between saidtreadle and said shaft. When both the treadle and the connectionsbetween the shaft and the treadle are placed below the shaft, the link Fis so short and the point of connection a' reaches such a low point thatsaid link F is thrown into almost alinement with the said point ofconnection a and the pivotal point a2, thus producing almostdead-centers when the treadles are in one position. This diliculty isavoided, however, by placing the lever E and the link D above the shaftand the treadle below the shaft, as in the present instance.Furthermore, the lever E and the link D being above the shaft, theircombined weight operates upon the crank-pin a and serves to force thecrank downwardly.

I am aware that minor changes in the construction, arrangement, andcombination of the several parts ot" my device can be made andsubstituted for those herein shown and described without in the leastdeparting from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a treadle mechanism, a shaf t provided with a crank, a leverhaving a relatively xed pivotal point, a link having its opposite endspivotally connected respectively to said crank and the free end of saidlever, the point of connection between said link and said lever beingupon one side of said shaft, a treadle upon the other side of saidshaft, and a substantially vertical link having its opposite endsconnected respectively to said treadle and to the point of connectionbetween said lever and said first-mentioned link, said lever and saidfirst-mentioned link respectively eX- tending oppositely from saidvertical link; substantially as described.

2. In a treadle mechanism, ashaft provided with a crank, a lever havinga relatively xed pivotal point above said shaft,a link having one endpivotally connected to said crank and its opposite end pivotallyconnected to the free end of said lever at a point above said shaft, arocking lever below said shaft, treadles in connection with oppositeends of said rocking lever, and a substantially vertical link having oneend connected to one arm of said rocking lever and its opposite endconnected to said point of pivotal connection between said rst-mentionedleverand said rstmentioned link, said firstmentioned lever and saidfirst-mentioned link respectively extending oppositely from saidvertical link; substantially as described.

In testimonvwhereof I hereunto aiix my signature, in the presence of twowitnesses, this 31st day of August, 1903.

ROBERT S. FLEMING.

Witnesses:

GALEs P. MOORE, GEORGE BAKEWELL.

